April 24, 1997 San Antonio, TX A tiger bit off a man’s finger and injured his friend when they broke into the Wild Animal Orphanage and tried to pet the tiger. Big Cats
April 4, 1997 Salisbury, NC A chimpanzee escaped from a roadside zoo, the Charlotte Metro Zoo, and attacked a woman in a car, damaging the car. Primates
April 1, 1997 Dallas, TX A “pet” bobcat mauled a 2-year-old boy. The bobcat chewed off the boy’s heel, bit his cheek, and caused the loss of his right index finger. The day before the incident, the bobcat escaped from the house and growled and lunged at several children on the street. Small Cats
March 22, 1997 KS A 6-year-old boy had bloody diarrhea for 10 days’ duration, abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever, and his 3-year-old brother developed diarrhea. Both boys were diagnosed with Salmonella, which they received from the family’s two “pet” snakes. Reptiles
March 21, 1997 Hudson, CO A lion at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center bit the left arm of a man who stuck it inside the animal’s cage. The man suffered ligament damage and a broken arm. Big Cats
March 19, 1997 Spokane Valley, WA A “pet” cougar escaped from his chain-link cage and startled neighbors when they spotted the cougar in their backyard. Big Cats
March 18, 1997 Orlando, FL A tiger mauled a keeper at the Savage Kingdom exotic cat breeding compound, severely mangling the man’s leg. Big Cats
March 17, 1997 Muskegon, MI A 2 year old girl lost part of her pinky finger when she reached into a bear cage at the annual Shrine Circus in Stadium Arena. Bears
March 1, 1997 San Antonio, TX A tiger escaped from the Wild Animal Orphanage, killed a duck and an ostrich, and wounded a llama before being caught. Big Cats
February 27, 1997 Houston, TX A “pet” capuchin monkey turned on his possessor and nearly killed her, severing her thumb and part of her index finger and slicing her legs. Primates